Bribery taint on MCG officials, but no action yet

At a time when the Haryana government is reiterating its commitment to fight corruption, the MCG continues to grapple with graft charges against its officials, especially mid-level and junior employees in the enforcement wing.

| TNN | Sep 11, 2018, 01:05 IST

GURUGRAM: At a time when the Haryana government is reiterating its commitment to fight corruption, the MCG continues to grapple with graft charges against its officials, especially mid-level and junior employees in the enforcement wing.
TOI spoke to three residents, who have recently filed complaints against MCG officials, alleging corruption. They claimed that these officials accept bribes and offer favours to defaulters.

In one such case, a complaint has been filed against a fibre company in Kadipur. The factory owner has illegally constructed a bridge over the road, it has been alleged. The bridge connects the factory’s two units on both sides of the road. According to complainant Devendra Yadav, a resident of Kadipur Enclave, even though the factory owner had committed multiple violations, including illegal construction of the bridge, MCG officials concerned were dragging their feet on the complaints against him.

“The factory owner has not only illegally set up a factory in a residential area but also built a bridge over a public road. After receiving multiple complaints, the MCG commissioner has ordered action against the owner but nothing has happened on the ground,” said Yadav.

A complaint has also been filed on the CM Window against him. Yadav alleged that the junior engineer seemed to have struck a deal with the factory owner, which was why no action was being taken against him.

Asked about the complaint, MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav said, “A dispute between the complainant and the factory owner has led to this, and the complainant has himself violated some rules. However, if the public land is encroached upon, an action will be definitely taken against those involved.”

In another case, a resident — Dalip Sahab — has written to the MCG commissioner, stating that a group of MCG officials along with a few bouncers had visited his property in Saraswati Enclave on September 1, and demanded Rs. 80,000. The officials claimed the ongoing construction activity was in violation of the norms, and hence illegal.

“The officials said they had orders to seal the building and asked for an amount of Rs. 80,000. When my contractor, who was there at the site at the time, said he didn’t have the full amount. Then they settled for Rs. 10,000 on the promise that the rest of the amount would be paid to them soon,” said Sahab, adding that the officials had never produced a copy of the sealing order.

Sources told TOI that the same building was sealed earlier as well. However, even though building code was violated, MCG officials are not supposed to demand cash from property owners. While MCG can impose penalties for building code violations, it has to be done through a proper process and an application has to be filed at the corporation office.

In yet another case, a similar complaint has been filed by a resident — Anil Singh — from Laxman Vihar. In his complaint which has been accessed by TOI, Singh said he was currently building a second floor on his house. On August 22, a team of officials with bouncers came to his house and demanded Rs. 10,000.

“When I threatened to file a complaint against them, they returned the money. However, the sub divisional officer pressured me, asking me not to pursue the complaint any further. He also said if I don’t pay heed to their demand, else they will demolish my house,” said Singh in his complaint.

The commissioner said he wasn’t aware of other cases, and hence it would not be appropriate for him “to comment on the matter without complete knowledge”.

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